1. Field of Invention
The present utility model relates to a tablet cassette for an automatic tablet sorting and counting machine commonly referred to as "automatic tablet dispensers". More specifically, the present invention is an improved tablet cassette which is capable of facilitating a tablet packaging operation in a packaging unit of an automatic tablet dispenser by supplying to an output port of a drum the exact desired quantity of tablet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic tablet dispensers are generally employed in hospitals, pharmacies, and drugstores to automate the output and assembly of corresponding tablets when the prescription is input into a computer. They serve to dispense the per-dosage assembled tablets in individual single serving packages.
A conventional automatic tablet dispenser includes the following: a main computer for calculating an appropriate prescription on the basis of the type of medicine, intake method, daily intake frequency and intake duration depending upon each patient; a tablet dropping unit having a plurality of tablet cassettes and a drum for storing therein and releasing therefrom the tablets in correspondence to the prescription set up in the computer; and a packaging unit disposed below the tablet dropping unit which serves to package a quantity of tablets and release the same to an exterior of the automatic tablet dispenser.
A tablet cassette serves to discharge to-be-packaged tablets on the basis of information input in the main computer. In general, the tablet cassette includes a tablet case having a driving unit and housing a slanted rotor, which rotates in accordance with the driving unit. A plurality of space between a plurality of guide teeth is formed along the outer periphery of the rotor, wherein the tablets are dropped into the space one by one and released by the rotor through an outlet into the tablet dropping unit with the rotation of the rotor.
A predetermined space sufficient to house the tablets therein is provided from the bottom surface of the tablet case. However, the room for the rotor and tablet case relatively becomes narrow due to the assembly clearance which occurs during the assembly of the driving unit, medicine case and rotor. The tablets should be smoothly supplied into the tablet dropping unit with the rotation of the rotor, but the conventional system has a disadvantage in that the space between the rotor and the medicine case cannot be constantly maintained during the assembly or for other reasons. This disadvantage sometimes prevents a timely release of the tablets resulting from jamming or tangling when the tablets in the medicine case are supplied toward the rotor.
Also, conventional tablet cassettes are provided in fixed measurement regardless of tablet size. Thus a different quantity of tablets is received in each cassette depending upon tablet sorts and size and accordingly requiring frequent tablet supplementation.
Furthermore, when a large quantity of small tablets are contained in a tablet cassette, the release duration becomes relatively larger, which can cause the tablets contained therein to be subject to moisture and deformation.